RGS Sports Awards celebrate another outstanding year
RIPON Grammar School’s annual Sports Awards provided a wonderful evening of celebration, recognising another outstanding year of achievement, commitment and participation in school sport.
Students, families, staff and coaches came together to celebrate the remarkable contribution made by RGS pupils across an enormous range of sports. Throughout the evening, awards were presented to those who had demonstrated exceptional performance, improvement, leadership and dedication while representing the school.
Among the many individual award winners were Will Edmondson and Ellie Walsh, who received the boys’ and girls’ swimming awards, while Ollie Deavin and Natasha Pointon were recognised for their achievements in cross-country.
This year also saw the introduction of the PE Leadership Awards, recognising students who have given their time to support others through coaching, officiating and volunteering. Lydia Smith and Will Taylor were worthy recipients, having shown exceptional enthusiasm, reliability and commitment when working with younger students.
Two of the evening’s most eagerly anticipated awards were the Girls’ and Boys’ Teams of the Year.
The Senior Girls’ Cross-Country Team was named Girls’ Team of the Year following a remarkable season. The team became North Yorkshire champions before progressing to the national finals, where they produced an outstanding performance to finish 17th in the country. Their achievement reflected not only their individual talent but also their determination, resilience and ability to perform together on the biggest stage.
The Under-16 Rugby Team received the Boys’ Team of the Year award after an excellent run to the Yorkshire Cup final. The team produced a series of impressive performances throughout the competition and narrowly missed out in a closely contested final. Their progress to the final was a tremendous achievement and demonstrated the quality, character and togetherness within the group.
The evening concluded with the presentation of the Girls’ and Boys’ Sports Person of the Year awards. These awards recognise not only outstanding sporting performance but also commitment to school sport, leadership, resilience and a willingness to contribute to the wider life of the PE department.
The runners-up for Girls’ Sports Person of the Year were Natasha Pointon, Tara Pearce and Lottie Day.
Natasha has enjoyed tremendous success in both cross-country and hockey. She played a crucial role in the success of the senior girls’ cross-country team while also producing a series of excellent individual performances. She won the area cross-country competition, finished second at the county championships, represented Yorkshire and competed at the national championships.
Tara’s contribution has extended far beyond her own considerable sporting achievements in hockey, cricket and cross-country. She has been an outstanding volunteer within PE, regularly giving her time to support activities and younger students. Her enthusiasm, reliability and willingness to help have made her an exceptional role model.
Lottie Day has enjoyed another remarkable year in football, representing England at the UEFA European Women’s Under-17 Championship. Despite the demands of performing at international level, she has continued to represent RGS in football, cricket and hockey. Lottie has also played a major role in the growth of girls’ football at the school and is one of the key reasons it is now firmly established within the RGS sporting curriculum.
The winner of the Girls’ Sports Person of the Year award was Lottie Nicol.
Lottie has been outstanding throughout her time at RGS. She has consistently performed to an exceptional standard for the school hockey team, combining talent and composure with excellent leadership. She has also volunteered extensively with younger hockey teams, supporting students and acting as a positive role model for her peers. Her award recognised not only another outstanding season but several years of remarkable service, commitment and contribution to RGS sport.
The runners-up for Boys’ Sports Person of the Year were Will Edmondson, Hector Hamill and Archie Nicol.
Will has been an outstanding representative of the school’s rugby, football and swimming teams. He has shown increased maturity, made significant progress and demonstrated exceptional commitment throughout the year. Whether competing, training or supporting others, Will has always given everything for his teams.
Hector has produced outstanding performances in cricket for both Yorkshire and RGS while also making an important contribution to school rugby. His achievements are even more impressive following his return from a serious injury. The resilience and determination he has demonstrated during his recovery have been inspirational.
Archie is an outstanding hockey player who has performed at a very high level outside school. Alongside his own sporting success, he has been one of the PE department’s leading volunteers. He is always willing to help with clubs and activities for younger year groups, making an invaluable contribution to school sport.
The winner of the Boys’ Sports Person of the Year award was Angus Millar.
Angus has enjoyed an exceptional year, becoming a key performer for the school’s rugby, cross-country and swimming teams. He is the definition of “Mr Reliable”: completely committed, consistently excellent and always prepared to put the needs of the team first. Whether producing an outstanding performance or being the first person to offer to carry the water bottles and equipment, Angus represents everything that RGS values in a sportsperson.
His year was crowned by an extraordinary individual achievement when he became the Under-18 British Fell Running Champion, a fitting reward for his talent, dedication and relentless work ethic.
The Sports Awards highlighted once again the tremendous strength and breadth of sport at Ripon Grammar School. The achievements celebrated during the evening would not be possible without the dedication of the students, staff, coaches, volunteers and families who give so much of their time.
Congratulations to every award winner, nominee and student who has represented RGS during another exceptional year of school sport.
Ripon Grammar School, 16 Clotherholme Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2DG
Tel: 01765 602 647
E: admin@ripongrammar.com
